From Soccer Boots To Jerseys: Football Is Taking Over Fashion

Football culture is influencing fashion more than ever and shaping the look of modern street style.

Iris Law steps into football nostalgia with Nike’s iconic Y2K soccer boots – the T90 – reviving the silhouette as a sneaker. Credit: Nike

By Imran Jalal, 9 Apr 2025

If you’re a soccer head, brace yourself: Nike has rebooted its iconic T90 boots from the noughties – the It-shoes once worn by legends like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney – now reimagined as T90 III lifestyle sneakers. This revival underscores a long-standing connection between fashion and football, a relationship that has seen on-pitch aesthetics increasingly influencing off-pitch style. This influence might have reached a fever pitch, no thanks to the surging popularity of blokecore.

To bring the T90s back to life, Nike enlisted Thomas Subreville’s Ill-Studio – known for -projects with Chanel and Louis Vuitton – alongside performance art collective (La)Horde, creating one of Nike’s most visually striking campaigns to date.

nike t90 iii sneakers — Members of the French multidisciplinary art collective (La)Horde give a romantic spin to the campaign for the launch of the T90 III sneakers.
Nike

But the football-fashion love affair doesn’t stop at the T90s. Footwear brands are now reimagining iconic elements of soccer boots – from exaggerated tongues to TF soleplates (originally designed for turf surfaces) – to craft street-ready sneakers, cementing the ongoing influence of football style. A prime example? Louis Vuitton’s Footprint sneakers and Puma’s Avanti LS Stitched, which takes inspiration from the legendary Puma King boots, now reworked with crochet and stitching details, and grounded by a classic gum sole.

Puma’s Avanti LS Stitched — The collaboration between Rihanna’s brand Fenty and Puma brings the Avanti LS Stitched to life, drawing inspiration from the legendary Puma King soccer boots.
Puma

This fusion of football and fashion showcases how the sport’s visual language continues to inspire the fashion world. Acne Studios, for example, merges athletic style with its signature designs in its latest capsule, a collaboration with Italian sportswear brand Kappa.

Acne Studios and Kappa draw inspiration from vintage football kits for their fiery collaboration.
Acne Studios

Retro football kits serve as the collection’s inspiration, with standout pieces like the flame-printed football jersey in Acne’s signature pink, featuring Kappa and Acne Studios logos, as well as denim and tracksuit pants with Kappa logo taping. The second-skin T-shirts evoke football players’ moisture-wicking base layers, while accessories like the flame-motif Bowlina bag, branded baseball cap, and knee-high socks bring the football kit look full circle.

Craving more on-pitch style to elevate your wardrobe? Scroll below to discover our curated essentials.